Encounters
by The Grand Dutchess
Summary: Rhonda waits as the clock ticks and time passes by. She just really wants to go to cheer practice...


Encounters

_43 42 41 40 39…_

Rhonda watched as the seconds ticked past. She began her mental countdown while she chewed on her strawberry Bubba-Bubba bubble gum, relishing the sweet, artificially flavored juices that flooded her mouth.

_34 33 32 31…_

_Just a bit more_, she thought. Her eyes travelled from the clock to the boy across her, on the other side of the Chem lab wearing a manic grin. His dark, crazy eyes were focused on her. She rolled her hazel ones.

"Hey babe," he mouthed.

She sneakily gave him the finger and saw him laugh in response. Their Chemistry teacher continued writing on the white board with his squeaky black marker that grated on Rhonda's nerves.

_Twisted little creep…_

_29 28 27 26 25…_

She went back to looking at the young man. He was talking to Arnold now, deeply engrossed in whatever subject they are discussing. He seemed more at ease than before. Rhonda was happy for him.

She also liked that he gotten rid of his bowl haircut. Rhonda hated that ugly thing.

He'd grown taller too, surpassing her when they reached the age of 16. It was still odd. She could not remember a time when she did not tower over him, now it's the opposite. It was – strange. It did not feel right, mostly because his height made him more intimidating; nowadays he was always looming.

If Rhonda was to be honest with herself, he had become quite cute.

Then, she grimaced. He is still a weirdo though. And a perv.

She sighed then glanced at the clock again. Finally, she smiled.

_4 3 2 1… RIIIIIIIINGGGG!_

Everyone in the class immediately stood up, quickly grabbing their notebooks and bags before heading to the narrow door. Rhonda took her time. She did not want to be squeezed with everyone just trying to get out. She slowly grabbed her notebook, slowly put it in her branded bag and slowly stood up. By the time she was done, there was no one left in the classroom.

_Hmm, he normally waits for me_, she thought then shrugged. _Whatever, it's not like I'll miss him_. He probably was still talking to Arnold.

Cheer practice was at 5 pm. She has time to get dressed and eat before that but she was always early. She would go to the football field 2 hours before practice and do some warm ups and stretches. It was her routine.

Today, Rhonda is going to be a little later than usual.

She got out of the class with ease and went through the long hallway. There were still a few stragglers, Rhonda noticed. Students who did not want to go home yet. However, when she rounded the corner to the hallway that was the only way to the field, there was no one. This hallway was empty.

Rhonda's long legs allowed her to take long strides. She beamed. She is going to ace the routine if she practiced before the actual practice.

Before that happens though, she gets the shock of her life when a strong hand gripped her arm and she was suddenly plunged into darkness.

"Mother of GOD!" she yelled out loud. Somehow, she could hear the smile of whoever was in the dark room with her.

"Now, is sooo not the time," she hissed. On instinct, her hands tried to reach out for the doorknob but landed on a warm chest instead. She could feel the person's heartbeat with her fingertips and the breath on her face. Without a doubt, she immediately knew who pulled her into this small, musty, storage cabinet.

"Alright, I don't have time for this. This isn't funn-"

Rhonda didn't get to finish her sentence as hungry lips devoured hers. She heard her bag dropped to the floor when she was roughly pushed to the wall behind her but it was as if it was a world away. Eager hands grabbed her waist and a leg parted her thighs.

The person's knee was suddenly pressed against her very core.

It felt fantastic and it had been too long but it was still embarrassing when she let out a loud, husky moan.

The guy causing all these reactions, the guy kissing her fiercely, whose hands had dipped dangerously low, chuckled. The vibration of his laugh went straight through her and she let out another groan, gripping his shoulders for support as she felt her legs starting to give way.

His focus went back to making love with her mouth. He was a master at it, caressing almost everywhere with the tip of his tongue. In an odd way, it was as if he innately knew what would turn her on. An instinct that awakened every time they collided. A swirl here, a light touch there… It was far too much to take.

Rhonda's breathing grew ragged. She needed to stop him before he got too carried away; his hands have now made their way under her skirt and about an inch from her panties.

She pushed him away.

It took them a few moments to catch their breaths. She could hear him panting in the dark but could not make him out in front of her. It was close to pitch black.

"You need to stop doing this," she huffed, trying to straighten her clothes even though she can't see.

"You like these encounters," his deep voice reverberated around the room. There was an emotion attached to it, Rhonda just could not make out which. It was hard to figure out what he thought when she could not see his face.

"I'm not going to lie, I enjoy them a lot. However, you have to stop scaring the crap out of me and start pouncing on me in a way that some would consider sexual assault."

She noticed he still have not removed his hands from her thighs.

"Do you consider it sexual assault?" he whispered. He must have gotten nearer because Rhonda could again feel his hot breath on her ear. His rough, callused hands rubbed against the smooth inside of her unclothed thighs. It was beginning to get very, very hot and she bit her bottom lip as the beads of perspiration trickled down her forehead.

"No," she gasped, when all of a sudden his fingers jumped and finally found her sweet spot. The skilled digits started to trace excruciatingly slow circles. Rhonda wanted to bite her lip to prevent herself from crying out and rocking her hips for more friction. She wanted to move away to stop herself from being disgustingly needy but he was quick. His other hand travelled to her waist and held her in place.

It was torture and paradise at the same time.

"Sexual assault means it's non-consensual," he finished for her.

"Uh huh," she whimpered. Rhonda's body was beginning to sag in pleasure and her eyes had come close to rolling to the back of her head. Damn this guy! Out of all the young men she had encountered, he was the only one who could reduce her to a pathetic puddle on the floor.

"And, you like this, don't you?" he said into her ear, his fingers going just a little bit faster and pressing just a little bit harder.

"YES!" she cried out. "Oh my God…"

"You're ready. Dripping, dripping wet," he sensuously continued, so did his deft hands.

"Don't you dare stop!" The coil in her stomach had grown into a full blast tornado. Her nails dug into his arms. She was near the edge. Her whole being could taste it. Rhonda was strung too tight, just a little push was needed for her to explode. "Do- D- Don't stop, please," she whispered. "Curly!"

He stopped.

.Hell.

She was near completion. She was almost there. Why the hell did he stop? What the fuck was his fucking problem?!

"It took you about 5 minutes and 39 seconds to figure out it was me," a calm voice deduced.

This made the heiress mad. She swore that if steam could come out of her ears, they would have had at that moment.

"I KNEW IT WAS YOU FROM THE VERY BEGINNING! YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO DRAGS ME INTO JANITOR'S CLOSETS AND MAKES OUT WITH ME!" she roared.

He only laughed. He doesn't scare easy. It was one of the traits she liked and hated about him. Hated because It meant she had no power against him and loved because he doesn't cower like the rest of her backless exes.

"Touchy, touchy. I just wanted to hear you call out my name."

"I'm not a fucking PA system," she bit out. She was very bitter and horny right now. All of it was his fault. She wanted to strangle him for coming up with such a weird, dissatisfying plan.

Then, Rhonda heard some shuffling noises while she crossed her arms and seethed in anger. It sounded like he was gathering his things. Wait, wait, wait… was he leaving?

"Are you leaving?" she exclaimed in disbelief.

"Pretty much," she heard him say with nonchalance.

Rhonda's jaw dropped. The nerve of this… this boy!

She was going to find him and he's gonna finish what he started. Biting her lip with determination, her hands reach out to grab him. She swung her arms and heard him chuckled in the darkness. It was though as if he knew she was hunting him down.

His laugh only egged Rhonda on. She got something! It was quite hard and… long. After a moment she realized what it was. It's a broomstick. A frustrated groan escaped her lips and Curly, somewhere in the storage closet, let out a louder laugh.

"I'm going to find you," she huffed.

"You can try," he said with a wicked glee in his tone.

"You'll pay for this," she snapped.

"I can hardly wait," he said in bored, mocking tone. Rhonda smiled. He was always witty. It was what he always had. He'd never been particularly good-looking or charismatic but he had his sharp wit ever since they were young. It was the words that left his mouth that eventually won her over. It had never been easy for them but it was worth it when she finally gave in.

Not only for him, but Rhonda had come to realize in the past couple of months, for her as well. It was a secret thought that she had never shared with him. It was too personal. She knew people would have had an apoplectic shock if they found out that Rhonda Lloyd thinks herself lucky for having Thaddeus Gammelthorpe by her side.

Her childhood friends would have all but fainted since they all thought Rhonda despised Curly with a burning passion.

She did have a burning passion for him… but it wasn't hatred, not anymore.

She swallowed the lump that formed at her throat. The awareness scared her.

There was a dangerous, scary pit forming in her stomach. Her breath hitched and she felt as if her heart stopped just for a moment and suddenly everything made sense. Everything was clear. In the darkness of the storage closet, an amazing thing happened.

Rhonda realized something very important about herself.

…

Curly instantly noticed the certain silence that filled the room, as though Rhonda just decided to stop moving. At first he thought she was hatching a strategy on how to catch him then the quietness dragged on.

"Rhonda, is something wrong?" he asked, nervous about her response. If there was one thing about Rhonda Lloyd that is constant, it is her unpredictability.

People thought she and him could not be anymore different. He was a dry cleaners' son and she was an heiress. She was popular and he was, for the lack of a better word, notorious. He would chase and she would run. However, underneath it all they were the same, nobody can ever predict their next move. Even each other.

"I was just thinking," she said in a soft voice.

Was this a strategy? So that she would not have to search for him in the dark but for him to go to her instead?

"What were you thinking about?" he prodded.

"Could you turn on the light? Then we'll talk," she said in a serious tone.

Curly was not going to buy it, Rhonda is an amazing actress. He was sure this is just a ploy.

"The thrill is in the hunt, dear" he said, taking a step to the left in case she suddenly sprang into action.

"Thaddeus, I mean it. Turn on the light. Please."

Thaddeus, not Curly. That stopped him. She only says Thaddeus when she needed to say something important. It was always Curly. And the tone, she was begging him. Rhonda never begs.

Curly's heart started beating really fast. This is it. She wants to end it. She finally realizes what a huge damage to her reputation their "encounters" would be once her popular friends found out. He couldn't blame her. Appearances have always been important to the Lloyds. He knew that from the very beginning.

But if she ends it, Curly knew it would take a very long time for him to bounce back. From the moment he laid eyes on her, she had been his world. She was _The _ Girl. The One.

This is going to crush him.

He started thinking about all the times he had been with her. The first glance, the first blush, the first kiss, the first time…

He tried to prepare himself for the blow. He sighed and gulped and flipped the switch. The sight that greeted him was a sweaty, confused Rhonda who was holding onto a broomstick. He would have laughed at the eccentricity of the situation until he realized that this might be their last moment together.

She was reluctant to look up, staring at the ground and mumbling some words that he could not hear.

"I'm sorry, what's that, my sweet?" He added 'my sweet' at the end in a desperate attempt to cajole her to continue what they had. It was pretty stupid but it was all he had right then.

She tilted her head up, stared at him with an unsure expression, and spoke up. She looked haunted or spooked like she just found out something horrifying. Curly took a step towards her, he wanted to comfort her, or something. She had never seen her look this terrified before. Did he do this?

She held up a hand, "No, just stay there."

Oh my God, he did! He violated her. Oh my god. Curly wanted to puke.

Afterwards, he saw Rhonda's face twist in confusion, then realization.

"Oh, no! No, no, no… it's not about that. I enjoyed every second of _that._"

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"I was just, I was wondering..." At her strange tone, he looked at her and gave her his fullest attention. "I've always wondered, why me?"

"Why you what?" He was puzzled. What was she talking about?

Rhonda's uncertainty slipped away for a second, replaced with impatience. She realized she was still holding onto the broom. She chucked it to one side without breaking eye contact with him. It hit the floor with a thud and that made her jump. After regaining her cool, she proceeded.

"Why'd you pick me?" she asked.

Curly smiled. Was that it? Was she worried about that? Thaddeus Gammelthorpe's heart soared.

"You know the answer to that."

He had the answer to that question a long time ago and wasn't he clear enough for her to understand?

"I love you. You're gorgeous, smart, confident, and make me feel like I could do anything. Be anyone I choose to be. Everyday, you surprise me. People always think they know Rhonda Lloyd but then you prove them wrong. You show them and I love that," he said in an awestruck manner. "It also doesn't hurt that you're as fine as they come."

"I've been in love with you since we were kids." He grinned widely and she kept her gaze on him. "I thought I made that clear from the very beginning. I'm lucky to have you."

The answer seemed to confuse Rhonda even more for her eyebrows became more furrowed and she shook her head disbelievingly.

"You're not lucky to have me," she slowly said.

His blood ran cold. What did she mean by that? That he never had her at all?

"What do you mean?" his voice broke as he said the words.

She's going to leave. Leave him. She could do it. And the saddest thing, he wouldn't be able to stop her.

Then, the funniest thing happened, she smiled, slowly closed the distance between them and held his hands.

"I think I just realized _I'm_ the one who is lucky to have you," she said softly.

There are times in your life that you will always remember. For different people, it's different memories and emotional triggers. It could be a birthday, a funeral or a wedding but it has to be impactful. It has to matter.

This moment is one of those times. Curly's breath hitched and he was speechless. Never in a million years did he expect that to come from her. Oh, he'd dreamed about it, for sure but he never thought it would come true.

_The _Girl liked him back.

Rhonda continued, "While we were in the dark, I just got to thinking, what am I really doing for you? I can be very vain, very selfish, very catty and very cruel but you stayed. I've insulted you, pushed you away and even kicked you out my house but you still remained."

She stopped and it looked as if she going to start crying and yet, Curly still had no words to say. She gave him a wobbly smile and said, "I call you for help and you're there. You take care of me, give me great advice when I need it and love me like no one else. Supported me when I wanted to do something I thought I wouldn't be good at. What have I done for you? You deserve more than this, this thing that we have."

When he finally could open his mouth, he decided to be glib and responded with, "You gave me your virginity. That pretty much covers everything, princess."

Rhonda laughed, blinking very fast to keep her unexpected tears at bay.

"Is this goodbye, my love?" He had to ask, he had to know.

"No. I- I"

"It's alright. You don't have to-" She placed her finger on his mouth to cut him off.

"What I'm trying to say is and failing miserably to do so is I want to do this properly."

Curly quirked an eyebrow and she sighed.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, Thaddeus "Curly" Gammelthorpe, I want to be your girlfriend."

Silence. No emotion, no nothing just silence.

Rhonda's eyes searched his for some sort of response but he appeared to be to shell-shocked to come up with one.

For Curly, it was as if someone had switched the lights off again.

…

"Curly, Curly, Curly…" A hand made contact with his face. "I swear if you don't wake up right now I'm going to leave you here."

Her voice permeated his brain. That angelic voice. He must have died and gone to heaven.

"Are you still my girlfriend?" he asked after opening his eyes and realizing that no, he was not dead and in heaven but he was still stuck in the janitor's room.

Wait, it was like heaven since his_ girlfriend_ is leaning over and staring at him with concern. His _girlfriend._ He could get used to that. He made a quick glance at her exposed cleavage, he definitely could get used to that.

"Curly!" she yelled, slapping him again, this time lightly, before covering her chest.

"What? What happened?"

The unimpressed look on her face that only she could pull off made him smile even wider.

"You blacked out when I said…" Rhonda mumbled the last part.

"When you said what?" He wanted to her it from her and their not leaving the room until she said so, he decided.

"That I'm your girlfreswdrfg…" Rhonda mumbled, looking to the left, avoiding his gaze.

"What's that?" he asked in a teasing manner and he glared at her.

He was fishing for it and it was fun. A little payback was nice now that he has finally captured her.

"I'm your girlfriend," she whispered.

"Sing it out, honey, so all can hear!" he said, winking at her.

She rolled her eyes, reminded of the time when he used that line on her. She was his girlfriend back then but it wasn't like she was very willing. And that incident was the start of it all, she realized, why she was always hyperaware whenever he stepped into a room or how she would scan every classroom upon entering, looking for someone just before she took a seat.

Rhonda smiled and leaned closer to him. She gave him a lopsided smile. "I don't need to sing it out to everyone, I only need to tell you."

"Why's that?"

"Because you're the only one that matters."

She kissed him fully in the mouth. He reciprocated and then some. And even though it was the first time that it happened, Rhonda was not ashamed that she was two hours late for cheer practice.

Her lips curved up as she thought of what just transpired.

_They were two hours well spent…_


End file.
